Route 66 is a song used in Cars, in two different forms. Chuck Berry and John Mayer both performed this song, and they are both used during the movie. Chuck Berry's is used during the scene when the townsfolk are customizing Lightning for cruise night, and John Mayer's during the end credits.

Chuck Berry's version serves as track 2 on the Cars soundtrack, while John Mayer's version serves as track 7. Disney's Karaoke Series: Cars features an instrumental version and vocal version sung by Neil Donell, both of which are based on John Mayer's version.

Contents

History

The song was composed in 1946 by American songwriter Bobby Troup. It was first recorded in the same year by Nat King Cole, and was subsequently covered by many artists including Chuck Berry in 1961, The Rolling Stones in 1964, and Depeche Mode in 1987. The title was suggested to Troup by his first wife, Cynthia.

Troup conceived the idea for the song while driving west from Pennsylvania to Los Angeles, California, and the lyrics — which include references to the U.S. highway of the title and many of the cities it passes through — celebrate the romance and freedom of automobile travel. In an interview he once said the tune for the song, as well as the lyric "Get your kicks on Route 66," came to him easily, but the remainder of the lyrics eluded him. More in frustration than anything else he simply filled up the song with the names of towns and cities on the highway.

Characteristics

The song's lyrics follow the path of the historic U.S. Route 66 highway, which used to run a long distance across the U.S., going from Chicago, Illinois, to Los Angeles, California. They read as a mini-travelogue about the major stops along the route, listing several cities and towns that Route 66 passes through, viz. St. Louis, Missouri; Joplin, Missouri; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Amarillo, Texas; Gallup, New Mexico; Flagstaff, Arizona; Winona, Arizona; Kingman, Arizona; Barstow, California; and San Bernardino, California. Winona is the only town out of sequence: it was a very small settlement east of Flagstaff, and might indeed have been forgotten if not for the lyric "Don't forget Winona," written to rhyme with "Flagstaff, Arizona." Many artists who have covered the tune over the years have changed the initial lyrics, usually to "It goes to St. Louis, down through Missouri..." then continuing on with Oklahoma City and so on. Of the eight states that the actual route passes through, only Kansas and its cities are not mentioned by the song.

Lyrics

Chuck Berry

Mater:"Hey, everybody! Welcome to the cutest little town in Carburetor County!" (The Music of Cars Land album only)

Well if you ever plan to motor west,
Just take my way. It's a highway that the best.
Get your kicks on Route 66.

Well, it winds from Chicago to L.A..
More than 2,000 miles all the way.
Get your kicks on Route 66.